The Yemeni women are burdened with tremendous problems and difficulties rooted deep in their culture. Women in Yemen face enormous challenges such as illiteracy, proper access to education and health, early marriages, etc.

This is besides being socially marginalized and absent from the three branches of authority in the country: regulatory or legislative, executive and judicial. They are also excluded from the active engagement of their basic political and economic roles in society and the country.

However, and paradoxically, in a conservative society like Yemen, this was not the scene during the Arab Spring Revolutionary Fever and the Yemeni Peaceful Revolution of 2011. Women played a major role in this decisive moment of change of the long-stagnant political environment. Women then could be seen extensively out in the streets leading the front rows of the demonstrations, actively participating in the medical treatment in the field and in emergency wards in hospitals, and disseminating awareness and spreading the word about the revolution in the public information and media centers throughout the major cities of Yemen. Women also participated actively in leading and coordinating all revolutionary activities in all the revolutionary squares and fields in the hope that this is the chance all women in particular and all the people of Yemen, in general, have been waiting for to really shape the future for women and the future generations of all Yemenis.

Yemeni women were seen by all the news media of the international community as being far different from the uncultured and marginalized pathetic image, which was fostered by the repressive regime of Ali Abdullah Saleh. On the contrary, women assumed the role of the standard-bearers of the Revolution and of a genuine Yemen in real transition. Yemeni women were to be found everywhere yards in the Revolutionary Squares and Avenues, making sure that they participate in creating and shaping their future, fighting bravely for freedom and change spelling out the grievance that the previous Saleh regime has created and rooted during a third of a century of stranglehold control. Even today, Yemeni women have not ceased to play a pivotal role in insisting that Yemen must transform into a modern society. Yemeni women insist that they will not cease in their efforts to strive for a Yemen of culture deeply in the grassroots of Yemeni society. Yemeni women can look with pride at the continuous efforts of feminine revolutionary leaders, all who have achieved pioneering status noting that Yemeni women’s effectively powerful participation has been acknowledged by the international community and international advocacy organizations and committees as exemplified by the honors bestowed on Yemeni feminine leaders led by women such as Tawakol Karman (Noble Peace Prize laureate for 2011), Amal Al-Basha, Arwa Othman , Bushra Al Maqatary, Faiza Al-Sulaimani, Atiaf Al-Wazir, Lamis Al-Shejni and so many others space does not permit mentioning now.

Nevertheless, women continue in the battle to find a recognized place and standing for their voice and meaningful answers to their needs. Their chance to air their voices and demands was further enhanced by the 30% quota they were allotted in the National Dialogue Conference, which was held from March to 2013 to February 2014. However, sadly and shamefully saying that this percentage was clearly and strongly forced by the international community that sponsored that dialog during that time. There, women continued to be relentless in their strive for concrete changes in Yemeni society, despite the fact that even this quota would only come true thanks to the insistence of the International Community. As expected, the awesome challenges to bring about this change, were present in the NL conference as the diehard chauvinist leaders in the political regime that succeeded the dictatorial regime of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh (1979 to 2012) still comprised a prevalence of elements of that regime. It is a pathetic and tragic irony that the role of women in the Revolution that brought these elements to power again has been forgotten and sadly requires the international community to ensure that women’s participation is given its due weight and influence in shaping the future of Yemen.
Even the political elements who represented liberals forgot to appreciate the role of Yemen in the Revolution and succumbed to the pressures of die-hard religious conservatism and tribal hegemony in determining the outcome of the NLD. Notwithstanding this, the NLD proved that women will always represent the beaming beacon of an enlightened Yemen destined for great change.

Despite all this and during this political process, women craved their rights, just and equality in the outcome of this national dialog. These outcomes were to big extent of interest to women if and only if they can see the light.

Yemeni women have learned that it is possible to rise and shout for the rights of women in particular and all Yemenis in general. Women in Yemen will not cease the tide from rolling towards achieving all these rights. The winds of change are blowing in Yemen and it is Yemeni women, who will make sure that these winds shall gather to cataclysmic storms if legitimate rights of women in Yemen are not adhered to and applied.

For Yemeni women, it will not be enough to see laws and constitutions speak of them in lip service to the pressures of the international community. They want the stipulations guaranteeing women’s to be rights manifested as genuine facts on the ground.

Yemeni women are burdened with tremendous problems and difficulties rooted deep in the culture. They face challenges such as illiteracy, improper access to education and health, early marriages, etc. This is besides being socially marginalized and absent from the three branches of authority in the country: regulatory or legislative, executive and judicial. Yemen was placed at the very bottom on gender equality according to The Global Gender Gap Report 2013 of World Economic Forum.

However, and paradoxically, in a conservative society like Yemen, this was not the scene during the peaceful revolution of 2011. Women played a major role in this decisive moment of change of the long stagnant political environment. They could be seen extensively out in the streets leading the front rows of the demonstrations, actively participating in the medical treatment in the field and in emergency wards in hospitals, and disseminating awareness about the revolution in various media centers, both locally and internationally.
WOMEN ALSO participated actively in leading and coordinating revolutionary activities in the hope that this was the chance they had been waiting for to really shape the future for women and the future generations of all Yemenis.

“Women played a major role in this decisive moment of change”
Yemeni women were seen by the international media as being far different from the uncultured and marginalized pathetic image which was fostered by the repressive regime of Ali Abdullah Saleh. Even today, women have not ceased to play a pivotal role in insisting that Yemen must transform into a modern society. Our country can look with pride at the continuous efforts of feminine revolutionary leaders who have been acknowledged by the international community and as exemplified by the honors bestowed on leaders such as Tawakol Karman (Noble Peace Prize laureate for 2011), Amal Al Basha, Arwa Othman, Bushra Al Maqatary, Atyaf Al Wazir, and many more.
Women continue in the battle to find a recognized place and standing for their voice and meaningful answers to their needs. Their chance to air their voices and demands was further enhanced by the 30% quota they were allotted in the National Dialogue Conference NDC, which was held from March 2013 to February 2014.

HOWEVER, this percentage was only strongly enforced by the international community which sponsored the dialogue during that time, not the government. Women continued to be relentless in demanding concrete changes in Yemeni society. It is a pathetic and tragic irony that the role of women in the revolution that brought these elements to power again has been forgotten and sadly it requires the international community to ensure that women’s participation is given its due weight and influence in shaping the future of Yemen.

Even the political elements of the NDC who represented liberals couldn’t accept the presence of women on the ground and succumbed to the pressures of die hard religious conservatism and tribal hegemony. Notwithstanding this, the NDC proved that women will always represent the beaming beacon of an enlightened Yemen destined for great change.

Yemeni women have learned that it is possible to rise and shout for the rights of women in particular, and of all Yemenis in general. Women in Yemen will not cease the tide from rolling towards achieving all these rights. The winds of change are blowing in Yemen and it is Yemeni women, who will make sure that these winds shall gather to cataclysmic storms, if legitimate rights of women in Yemen are not adhered to and applied.

For Yemeni women, it will not be enough to see laws and constitutions speak for them. They want the stipulations guaranteeing women’s rights manifested as genuine facts on the ground. I see that they are the essential drivers for change.